Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 236 The Old Fox and the Little Fox [Basic Chapter 5k]

Konosuke Nakajima's question lingered in the air, echoing heavily.

Kiryu Yaya could sense it.

The other person's gaze was fixed intently on his face.

It seemed as if he was trying to decipher what was unspoken from every tiny change in his expression.

But Kiryu Yaya showed no sign of nervousness; instead, he displayed appropriate confusion.

Seemingly puzzled as to why Managing Director Nakajima would suddenly ask such a strange question.

How could the downfall of the high-ranking Minister Kouyuda be related to a mere newcomer like him?

But just then, a system notification popped up in front of Kiryu Yaya:

[New life options have been triggered]

Since Konosuke Nakajima was able to ask this question, it means he already has some clues. Please choose your answer carefully.

At this moment, you have three choices:

[Branch 1: Complete denial, insisting that he is just a newcomer and has nothing to do with Kouyuhiko's arrest, thus escaping unscathed with the utmost innocence.]

(Difficulty: ★)

[Branch Two: Be completely honest and reveal the details of your strategy, taking a gamble on Managing Director Nakajima's appreciation.]

(Difficulty: ★★★★)

[Branch Three: Half-truth, half-lies, revealing your grudge against Kouyuu Hiko, but denying that it was all part of your scheme.]

(Difficulty: ★★★)

The upgraded system options will award corresponding rewards based on the difficulty of the options, but the higher the difficulty, the greater the risk. Please choose carefully.

Kiryu Yaya's gaze slowly swept over the three options.

The upgraded system options no longer display rewards; instead, the rewards are directly awarded based on the difficulty of the chosen option.

This will put his wisdom to the test even more.

However, the system made a good point.

The greater the difficulty, the greater the risk.

For example, option two is something he would never choose, no matter how high the reward.

What a joke!

He didn't know enough about Konosuke Nakajima, and didn't know whether the other party was a hunter or a potential ally.

Revealing all your cards to the opponent rashly is tantamount to courting death.

As for options one and three —

On the surface, option one does seem to have no risk.

But actually?

Konosuke Nakajima's deliberate probing of him clearly indicates that he has obtained some evidence.

What kind of evidence would that be?

Is it the Dongzheng Association or the Miyazawa Group?

Not too possible.

If the evidence were conclusive, they wouldn't have just come to test him.

As the managing director of Mitsubishi Bank, he has recently been reviewing the cases handled by Furutahiko, and the most likely thing he can get his hands on is that piece of evidence.

Kiryu Yaya quickly made a judgment in his mind, then raised his head to meet Nakajima Konosuke's gaze, his voice carrying a newfound heaviness: "Managing Director Nakajima, there are some things I didn't intend to tell anyone. But since you've brought it up, I have no reason to keep it from you any longer."

Five years ago, my father ran a small metal processing factory in Higashi-Osaka. Due to the appreciation of the yen after the Plaza Accord, orders plummeted, and the business was on the verge of bankruptcy.

"At the time, Minister Furuta was the head of the financing department at the Osaka branch, in charge of reviewing and handling my father's loan."

"He first made my father add more collateral, and then withdrew the loan within a month by applying for a false seizure, locking up all the land of the factory and his own house in order to recover the bank's funds."

"My father, having exhausted all his options, ended his life in the bathtub. My mother followed him shortly after the funeral."

Konosuke Nakajima remained silent, gazing quietly at Yaya Kiryu.

Kiryu Yaya continued, "So my initial purpose in joining Mitsubishi Bank was to use the bank's own rules, the same methods that Kouyuki Hikaru used to drive my father to the brink, to make him taste the same bitterness within the rules."

"I got into the University of Tokyo, joined Mitsubishi Bank, and worked my way up to where I am today, all so that one day I could personally bring down Kouyuhiko."

He paused slightly at this point.

Then, he chuckled softly, a hint of self-mockery in his voice: "It's just a pity—"

"He didn't let me wait until that day."

Konosuke Nakajima slowly leaned back in his chair, shifting his gaze from Yaya Kiryu's face, a thoughtful expression on his own.

Then, his expression became serious: "Kiryu-kun, I know about your past."

"I admire your persistence and courage. It's not something an ordinary person could do to take revenge on a bank headquarters manager."

"However, at the same time, I also want to apologize to you."

"In the past few decades, the banking system has indeed done many unseemly things in order to maintain its asset quality and book profits."

"Adding collateral, sudden loan withdrawal, and fraudulent seizure"

"These methods are all legal in terms of procedures, but legality and what is in line with people's hearts are never the same thing."

"Koudahiko should be held accountable for his actions, whether it is the harm he has caused to your family or his behavior in the Rinku Castle case."

"He deserves to be in jail."

"but----"

He paused slightly.

"As the current managing director of Mitsubishi Bank and a member of this system, I have the obligation and responsibility to apologize to those who were hurt by those dishonorable things in the past."

"Although my apology cannot bring back your parents' lives, nor can it make up for the pain you have endured over the years."

"But I still want to say one thing."

He leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands in front of his abdomen, and bowed slightly: "I'm sorry."

The meeting room fell silent.

"Managing Director Nakajima —"

Kiryu Yaya's voice choked with emotion.

Konosuke Nakajima sighed, took a document from under his desk, and pushed it next to the pen.

Kiryu Yaya looked at the document, his pupils contracting slightly.

as predicted.

What Nakajima Yukiyuki's assistant was holding was the file document that Kouda Hiko handled for Kiryu Metal back then.

Konosuke Nakajima pondered for a moment, then said, "Kiryu-kun, I understand the sadness in your heart, but don't dwell on that question."

"After I arrived at the branch this morning, I asked the general affairs department to retrieve a batch of old case indexes that Kouyuu Hiko handled back then."

"It was originally just a routine self-inspection to check if there were any other cases that might be involved besides the Miyazawa tourism development."

"Then I saw the files on Kouyu Hiko and your father's company."

"Of course, I didn't know about your relationship before this. It was only because we share the same surname, and you were also present at the Lingkong City bidding event."

"So these things combined made some connections in my mind."

"I didn't know that there was such a past between Kouyuu Hiko and your family. I just saw the overlap between the surname and the case, and I also saw the extent of your involvement in the Rinku Castle incident, so I felt that there might be some connection between the two."

I'm sorry if this has caused you any trouble.

Kiryu Yaya's gaze remained fixed on that old file.

He looked at the file, remained silent for a few seconds, and then gently pushed it back to the center of the table.

"Managing Director Nakajima, I understand."

Konosuke Nakajima nodded, closed the file again, and put it back in the folder.

Then he raised his head and looked at Kiryu Yaya, his gaze becoming even more profound than before.

"Kiryu-kun."

"Yes."

"You just said that you joined Mitsubishi Bank to make Koudahiko pay the price using the bank's own rules. I won't comment on that. But I can tell you one thing—"

"From the outcome, Kouda Hiko's arrest may not necessarily be a bad thing for Mitsubishi Bank."

Kiryu Yaya was slightly taken aback.

Konosuke Nakajima didn't explain what he said; he simply picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then put it down.

"Alright, that's all for today. Go back to work; Section Chief Yamada probably still has something to tell you."

"clear."

Kiryu Yaya took the pen back from the table, bowed slightly, and then turned and walked towards the door.

As he walked to the door, he heard Konosuke Nakajima's voice behind him.

"Kiryu-kun."

Kiryu Yaya stopped and turned around.

Konosuke Nakajima sat behind his desk, his gaze fixed on him: "If you go to Kyoto again next time, please give my regards to Section Chief Ritsu Nishida."

Kiryu Yaya paused for a moment, then nodded.

"I will definitely convey your message."

He opened the door and went out.

Kiryu Yaya closed the door behind him and let out a long sigh.

As expected of the managing director, he exudes a strong sense of pressure.

From the end of the meeting this morning until now, it has been no more than four hours, yet Konosuke Nakajima has managed to figure out all the people involved in the Rinku Castle incident.

Not only that, but he can also discover the connection between Kiryu Metal and himself from the layers of archives and test it.

Kiryu Yaya knew very well that before he entered the conference room, Managing Director Nakajima already knew about the connection between Kouda Hiko and his family.

The question about whether Minister Kouyu's arrest had anything to do with him seemed like a casual remark, but it was actually a carefully designed trap.

If he chooses to play dumb and deny it, then Managing Director Nakajima will reveal the files, creating a situation where he contradicts himself.

Fortunately, Kiryu Yaya keenly sensed his intention and took the initiative to push open the door that was already half open.

This, in turn, rendered the card that Managing Director Nakajima had prepared ineffective.

However, Managing Director Nakajima was not angered by this; instead, he took the opportunity to adjust his strategy.

He first put away the file, then humbled himself and ended the conversation with an apology.

This shows that his approach has shifted from probing to courting.

This is playing the emotional card.

Moreover, at the end of his apology, he almost openly gave a political signal.

"From the outcome, Koudahiko's arrest may not necessarily be a bad thing for Mitsubishi Bank."

This seemingly ordinary sentence actually reveals three layers of information.

Firstly, the head office has decided to abandon Koudahiko.

This means that Gu Yutian's resources and connections within the system have been completely severed, and there is no possibility of overturning the verdict.

This layer is for appeasement.

Secondly, Nakajima's own stance on this matter is to go with the flow.

He did not intend to defend Kouyuda, nor did he show any tendency to regret or defend him. Instead, he treated the arrest as a fait accompli in a near-neutral manner.

Nakajima was conveying his stance to him.

Thirdly, this statement is also a tacit approval of Kiryu Yaya, and could even be considered a subtle signal:

From his perspective, your hatred for Kouyuhiko wouldn't be considered betrayal of the system.

From the perspective of the banking faction, this can be seen as sending a signal to Kiryu Yaya to choose sides: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, come to my side.

If this third signal wasn't obvious enough, then Nakajima's last sentence, "Give my regards to Section Chief Nishida Ritsu," further reinforced this signal.

The appearance of this request indicates that, in Nakajima Konosuke's mind, Kiryu Yaya had already been removed from the list of suspects.

On the other hand, it gave Kiryu Yaya a key to choose sides and pushed it into his hands.

Whether or not he picks it up is entirely up to him.

[The world line has converged; you have chosen to fork at point three.]

Difficulty: ★★★

[Rewards are being distributed —]

[Received: Physical gold worth 500 million yen, deposited in a personal safe deposit box at Mitsubishi Trust Bank. The safe deposit box is registered under the name of an "anonymous custodian" and is for the host's single-use only, with permanent validity.]

Kiryu Yaya's gaze lingered on those lines of text for a moment, then he narrowed his eyes slightly.

Good guy.

A small yellow croaker worth 500 million yen?

The rewards after the system upgrade far exceeded his expectations.

Moreover, the system settings are very thoughtful.

Anonymous storage, single access.

This means that as long as he doesn't actively convert it into cash, the gold can lie quietly in the bank's safe deposit box for the rest of his life.

Until one day, whether it's a feud or war, they can simply go to the bank and withdraw the money, and nobody will know.

Thinking about the mission of the times, there is a requirement for net assets exceeding one billion yen.

Kiryu Yaya's heart skipped a beat, and he used [Banker's Eye] on himself to see how far he was from his goal.

【Kiriyuya】

Age: 23

[Position: Staff member, Finance Review Department, Mitsubishi Bank Osaka Branch]

Annual salary: 420 million yen (base salary, excluding bonuses and system rewards)

【assets:】

"1. Mitsubishi Bank Osaka Branch General deposit: approximately 340 million yen]

2. Cash assets: approximately 30 yen

3. Physical gold (Mitsubishi Trust Bank personal safe deposit box, anonymous storage): 500 million yen

「4.东整会积分帐户：1，000积分（可兑换1，000万円）」

5. Honda SuperCub50 Moped: 15 yen (used car value)

Total Assets: ¥1885 million

[Liabilities:]

1. Japan Educational Foundation Scholarship Type 1 (Interest-Free Loan): 284 million yen

"2. Japan Educational Foundation Scholarship Type 2 (Interest-Bearing Loan): 156 million yen"

"3. Mitsubishi Bank Employee Credit Union - One-Time Loan for New Employees: 30 yen"

Total liabilities: 470 million yen

Net worth: 1415 million yen

Looking at his asset panel, Kiryu Yaya remained silent for a moment.

If you don't count the 1000 points in the Dongzheng Association, he feels like he's just an ordinary person struggling to make ends meet.

400 million yen, how many girls would that be equivalent to in today's world?

Kiryu Yaya pondered as he walked toward his office on the third floor.

Using the current exchange rate is not very reliable; if we look at purchasing power, it would be around 200,000.

It's not enough to pay the bride price in Akarin province.

The goal of reaching 1 billion yen is a long and arduous journey.

Kiryu Yaya pushed open the classroom door and bumped into Yamada Masakazu coming out of the section chief's office.

He was holding a document in his hand, as if he was about to submit it for approval, when he saw Kiryu walk in and paused for a moment.

She then tucked the folder under her arm, waved to him, and gestured for them to talk in the hallway.

Kiryu Yaya walked over, and the two stopped beside the water dispenser. Yamada Masakazu lowered his voice slightly: "Managing Director Nakajima called you, he didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

Kiryu Yaya shook his head: "No, I just asked about the situation on the day of the auction."

Masakazu Yamada, unsuspecting, smiled and said, "That's good."

He patted Kiryu Yaya on the shoulder: "Alright, go ahead and do your thing."

"it is good."

Kiryu Yaya responded and turned to walk towards his workstation.

When he sat down, he gently placed the pen into the drawer and didn't look at it again.

He was still thinking about Konosuke Nakajima's last words.

Take sides, take sides —

We should still be more cautious.

6:30.

Not a single light was turned off in the financing review class.

After Yamada Masakazu returned to his section chief's office, that door was never opened again.

Through the frosted glass, I could see him sitting at the table, occasionally picking up the phone, saying a few words quickly, then hanging up and continuing to look down at the documents.

The same applies outside the section chief's office.

The phone rang incessantly in the office area, and the fax machine spat out page after page of paper, piling up in the inbox. Before you could even sort them out, new ones would arrive.

What Managing Director Nakajima said this morning in the fifth-floor conference room is now being tangibly applied to everyone.

A preliminary list needs to be produced by next Monday.

As the core department during Koudahiko's tenure at the Osaka branch, the Financing Review Division naturally bore the brunt of the scrutiny.

The documents in front of Wakako Kishigami were already stacked three layers high. Her pen was almost constantly in motion. Every now and then, she would look up and tell Sasaki next to her, "The customer confirmation letter from the sales department hasn't arrived yet. Follow up with them again."

Sasaki, who was the errand boy for the whole classroom, was exhausted today. In less than an hour, he gulped down two bottles of water.

Amidst the bustling activity in the classroom, Kiryu Yaya looked out the window at the setting sun and remembered something.

He also seemed to have made plans with Mizuna Yayoi, saying they would go to the driving school together after get off work.

Judging from this situation, it seems unlikely that I'll be able to leave work before 8 PM.

Kiryu Yaya handed a summary sheet to Nakamura Yuka, turned around and sat back down in his chair, when he suddenly caught a figure at the door out of the corner of his eye.

It's Yayoi Minana.

She paused at the door, not walking straight in, but she could clearly sense the bustling atmosphere in the financing review department.

Mizuna Yayoi's gaze swept around the office area, finally landing on Yaya Kiryu.

Kiryu Yaya looked up and their eyes met.

At that moment, Sasaki rushed out of the office, called out "Yayoi-san," and then grabbed the documents and rushed into the adjacent printing room.

Upon hearing the sound, Chihaya Yuri looked up.

Kiryu Yaya had already put down the documents in his hand and walked a few steps toward the door.

"Sorry, there's an urgent task in class tonight. We need to review old files related to Minister Kouyu's case. The section chief wants a preliminary list by next Monday, so tonight might be—"